Jakes Koen Photovault

08/12/2021

I've not posted here in a while but here are some pics taken during a recent trip to Namibia - all shot on Canon G5X

23/01/2018

28/11/2017

Mystical Cappadocia, originating as inhabited cave dwelling during the Hitite era, later serving as safe refuge to Christians fleeing form Roman Persecution and now inhabited by normal people (and the rich and famous).

28/11/2017

This was the site that greeted us in the morning during our stay in mystical cappadocia.

28/11/2017

Originally built by the Hitites circa 1200BC and in "modern times" it served as safe refuge for Christians fleeing from Roman persecution. Four levels of underground city, hosting a graveyard, stables, winery, churches and lodgings.

28/11/2017

While visiting Capedoccia, we were able to catch a Whirling Dervish ceremony in an underground cave.Due to the spiritual nature of the ceremony, no photography was allowed but afterwards, a single Dervish came out to do the whirl and we were allowed to take photos of him.

The Mevlevis, or whirling dervishes, belong to a Sufi mystical sect inspired by a spiritual poet named Mevlâna Celaleddin Rumi (1207-1273). The order was created in 1273 after the death of Mevlana in Konya, which was a center of learning and art in the 13th century under the Seljuk Turk sultans.

The Mevlevis stress personal devotion and value the idea of relinquishing one's earthly ties to reach a state of tranquility, love and harmony. They believe that death is meant to be celebrated because a union forms with god. The sect often blends local practices into worship, is open to members of all religions but is based on the principals of Islam. Many were wandering mendicants.

A whirling dervish ritual begins with prayers and meditation in which each dervish, one after the other, receives a blessing from a superior. Then flutes play an introductory melody which symbolizes man's desire for mystic union, and the dance begins. Each dance consists of three stages: the first is the knowledge of God; the second is the seeing of God; and the third is the union with God."

The conical hats the dervishes wear represents a tombstone, the dervish's jacket symbolizes the grave, and the dervish's skirt, a funeral shroud. As the dervishes dance they remove their jackets to show they are shedding earthly ties, and escaping from their graves. As they whirl, the dervishes raise their right hands in prayer and extend their left hands toward the floor. The meaning of these gestures is "what we receive from God, we give to man; we ourselves possess nothing." Their whirling symbolizes the rotation of the universe in the presence of God."

27/11/2017

During our whirlwind tour of Turkey, we were fortunate enough to also visit the ancient city of Ephesus - what an experience.

26/11/2017

Just outside of Ephesus in Selcuk is the Basilica of St John. This is where he wrote his gospel and letters. His tomb is also inside the Basilica.

25/11/2017

This is the house where Mary Magdalene, the mother of Jesus, spent her last years on earth after John took her to Ephesus in order to evade persecution by the Romans.

24/11/2017

During a recent holiday in Turkey, we visited the ancient city of Hierapolis, the Necropolis and Pamukkale

23/11/2017

Taken during a whirlwind tour of Istanbul